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Iraq moves to suspend ties with U.N. inspectors
October 27, 1997
Web posted at: 8:20 a.m. EST (1320 GMT)BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Parliament recommended on Monday that Iraq suspend its cooperation with U.N. inspectors trying to verify whether Iraq has eliminated its weapons of mass destruction.
The recommendation to "freeze" ties with the U.N. Special Commission follows last week's U.N. Security Council resolution threatening more sanctions against Baghdad.
The 250-member National Assembly, which debated for two days, proposed that Iraq halt all contacts with the inspectors "until Iraq's cooperation is recognized" and a date is set for lifting the U.N. embargo imposed for Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
In a newspaper article published Monday, former Iraqi information minister Hamed Yousif Hummadi wrote that Saddam Hussein's government should change its attitude toward the U.N. Special Commission set up to disarm Iraq under the 1991 Gulf War cease-fire.
One member of the Assembly -- largely a rubber-stamp body -- said a freeze would include ending U.N. inspections of Iraqi sites.
President Hussein repeatedly has threatened to end cooperation with U.N. inspectors, believing that the United States and Britain will never agree to lift sanctions.
Threat of further sanctions
Last Thursday, a divided U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution threatening to impose a travel ban on Iraqi officials responsible for blocking U.N. weapon site inspections.
The resolution, passed by 10-0 with five abstentions -- France, Russia, China, Egypt and Kenya -- expressed the "firm intention" of adopting measures to prevent travel abroad by the Iraqi officials.
A further vote would be needed to put a ban into effect.
The arms inspections date to the end of Persian Gulf War in 1991, when the council ordered Iraq to destroy its long-range missiles and chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.
The U.N. has said until Iraq adheres to the order, it will not lift stern economic sanctions imposed after Saddam Hussein sent his forces into Kuwait.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- U.N. to vote on scaled-back Iraq resolution - October 23, 1997
Related sites:
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- Iraq - ArabNet
- Iraq - Consular Information Sheet - U.S. State Dept.
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